Tuesday, 24 December 2013

X77: Glasgow - Ayr

The X77 is a coach/bus hybrid connecting Scotland's biggest city with Robbie Burns' hometown by the sea. See a full route map here. It runs every 30 minutes Mon-Sat daytimes and hourly evenings and Sundays. There is also an hourly all-night service on Friday and Saturday nights. Click here to discover other bus routes in Scotland.

The section between Glasgow and Kilmarnock also has route X76 which combines with the X77 to give a higher combined frequency. They are both operated by Stagecoach.

Ayr

Scotland's first parliament was held in Ayr. But it is probably even better known for being the birthplace of the poet Robbie Burns. You can even visit the cottage where he was born.

Here's the way the X77 goes. Both routes are shown on this map: daytime services by-pass and evening journeys serve Kilmarnock:

Those journeys that do run through Kilmarnock use this route through the town centre:

Here's the bus station, where the X77 calls in the evenings:

Fenwick

Fenwick is a tiny village, famous for its Weavers' Society, regarded by many as the world's first co-operative. It's a lot prettier than Rochdale, I'll give it that! It lies just before the end of the M77 motorway, which the X77 takes all the way to Glasgow.

The X77 stops not in the village centre, but at unmarked stops right by the motorway...

Most buses on the X77 come off the motorway to serve Fenwick. The only ones that stay on the motorway and don't stop are weekday morning peak journeys towards Glasgow and weekday evening peak journeys away from Glasgow. Southbound journeys stop on this slip road directly off the M77:

... and northbound journeys stop on the other side of the bridge and right at the roundabout on the A77:

As an alternative, Stagecoach route 4 runs through the village centre, but it takes longer to get to Glasgow than the X77 does.

Glasgow

Glasgow City Chambers. Image by Kim Traynor, published on Wikipedia and used under creative commons.

Those with taste regard Glasgow as Scotland's real capital. You won't be bored here: here's three to see:

The only day ticket that really allows you to explore the towns along the X77's route is the SPT Daytripper. It's valid after 9am weekdays and all day at weekends and gives you complete freedom of all trains and most buses (including those of Stagecoach, who run the X77) plus the Glasgow Subway in the area shown on this map, which includes the whole of route X77. It costs £11.20 for one adult and up to two children or £19.80 for two adults and up to four children. It can't be bought on the bus though, only from staffed rail stations, online or from SPT Travel Centres, including the one at Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow.

Single and return fares are available to buy on the bus. Some fares are listed here.

Ayr Plusbus tickets are valid on the X77 between Ayr and Prestwick Airport.

Between Ayr and Kilmarnock, you can also use routes X16, 4 and 444.
Between Kilmarnock and Glasgow, you can also use routes X76 and 4.
The 4 serves the full length of the X77's route, but with some variations and it doesn't use the motorway, so a journey to or from Glasgow will take a lot longer and won't cost you any less. All of these buses are operated by Stagecoach.

The other alternative is the train. See the rail map above for an idea of exactly where the trains go. Find timetables here and fares here. The SPT Daytripper ticket is also valid on the train, so you could get the bus one way and return by train or vice versa. If you want to use the train only, an anytime adult single is currently £7.80, an off-peak (after 0900 weekdays) adult day return is £10.40 and an anytime adult day return is £14.00.

1 comment:

great!!! For once the Public Transport is taken seriously to help passengers who are not familiar with travelling on buses and this is amazingly made clear!!! Well done!! When will more work to make travelling clear. Thankyou!!!

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Buses are the most used mode of public transport, but you wouldn't think that from the portrayal they receive in the media. As good as trains are, buses reach more places. But finding out which bus goes where and which routes are really worth using can be difficult if you don't know where to look.

This new blog will profile Britain's most useful and/or scenic bus routes, one at a time. We will cover routes in all regions. Some will be chosen for the speed with which they connect two major places. Some will be chosen for the sheer beauty of the landscapes through which they pass, landscapes which really should be enjoyed from a bus window, where you can take it all in.

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